The Rise Of The Online Casino

Online casinos have been rapidly increasing in both presence and popularity in recent years, vying with their real world counterparts for members. They offer gamers the chance to play a variety of traditional Casino Games in a virtual environment, from blackjack and roulette to poker and slots, with the chance of winning cash prizes of the same level offered by bricks and mortar casinos.

The history of online casinos

The first online casinos began appearing in the mid nineties and in the short time since then the industry has gone from strength to strength. While the earliest versions simply offered games for fun it wasn’t until 1996 that online casinos began allowing customers to play using real money, essentially marking the moment the true online casino was created and setting the foundations for an industry which would eventually challenge the long-established land based casino.

With the formation of eCOGRA – the eCommerce and Online Gambling Regulation and Assurance body, online casinos were set to provide highly secure gambling environments with excellent customer support and reliable odds and payouts.

What has made online casinos so popular?

Online casinos’ popularity has increased undeniably rapidly in just ten years and there are a number of reasons why the industry has been so successful. Firstly the use of realistic animation and graphics means that the playing environments offered by online casinos look very much as they do in a traditional casino. Players are also able interact with the games in a similar way, for example by virtually pressing buttons on slot machines or placing chips on a roulette table. What sets online casinos apart, however, is their accessibility, ease of use and the choice they offer.

Being accessible via the internet means that online Casino Games can be played from anywhere with an internet connection, be that at home, in a coffee shop or even in the office, when the boss isn’t looking. Online casinos provide secure facilities whereby you can play with dollars straight from your bank account and, similarly, have any winnings paid directly to you. They also offer something that you certainly won’t get in a real world casino – the chance to practice the games for free before playing them for real, with your hard earned cash. Many online Casino Games also offer bonus features and offers that are exclusive to the online casino environment, such as free spins on slots and bonus game options for blackjack and poker.

Of course, the online medium has also allowed Casino Games to become more innovative. There are many titles which take advantage of the platform, offering players a creative and innovative gaming experience. Indeed, recent years have seen a raft of pokies which have been especially designed for online casinos. These slots include bonus games which would not be available in traditional, land-based arcade halls or gaming floors. While the traditional free spins feature is still available in many online casino pokies, a growing proportion of games are using the internet to create exciting and involving bonus rounds.

The same is true of casino card games and table games. While classic versions of blackjack or roulette are staple inclusions in real-world venues, online casinos use their electronic advantage to give the player a truly involving experience. Games of blackjack and roulette now include fantastic bonus features and additional wagers. For example, some online titles combine classic blackjack rules with poker, while one particular game awards additional prizes for consecutive wins.

Another potential reason online casinos have proven so well-liked are the unique multiplayer and chat capabilities offered by many sites. The creation of multiplayer tables for online casinos in the late nineties meant that clients could now play against friends or even make new friends using the inbuilt chat facilities. The inclusion of the social in gambling has helped to foster a real sense of community in the online casino industry and this is doubtless one of the most popular aspects of many sites.

Who wants to be a millionaire?

The proliferation of online casinos in recent years means that there are many out there vying for business, attempting to offer the most choice and the best chances of winning. This can be of real benefit to gamers, who are able to try out a number of different online casinos before choosing to play at the ones offering their favourite games and the best cash prizes.

Indeed online casinos have been known to make millionaires of their customers, the first million plus jackpot being won in 2002. Just three years later a player was awarded a jackpot of almost two million dollars. With so many varied and original games to choose from and such high jackpots within reach, where will you start?